Politics Is Broken

This week on Politics Is Broken, Danielle Smith becomes the first Alberta premier in nearly 90 years to face a citizen-led recall petition... and the UCP’s own recall law starts doing exactly what everyone warned it would do (just not to the people who wrote it).Then we pivot south, where the U.S. releases a new “National Security Strategy” that reads less like policy and more like a world dominance mood board... complete with America First everything, Europe-as-a-warning-label, and a not-at-all-chill vibe about the “Western hemisphere.” Plus: the new U.S. visitor rule demanding five years of social media history, and what Canada should do when the neighbour starts acting like the whole street is his driveway.

Canada’s back in the global spotlight… and this time it’s not for policy, it’s for pop. In this episode, Brittlestar and Lisa start with the truly urgent question of our time: is Justin Trudeau actually soft-launching a relationship with Katy Perry, complete with a former Japanese prime minister accidentally hard-launching it to the world?From there, they dig into FIFA’s World Cup draw, the eye-rollingly absurd “Peace Prize” nobody asked for, and what hosting the tournament is really worth to Canada once you factor in copyright goons, bylaw cops, and the joy of not being allowed to say “World Cup.” Back home, BC’s Conservatives implode in a “professionally incapacitated” leadership crisis, while Alberta pulls the plug on two big private surgical contracts at the centre of a growing procurement scandal, raising fresh questions about conflict of interest and who the system is actually serving.Finally, they turn to the most serious story of the week: the deadly U.S. strike near Venezuela, the alleged “kill 'em all” order, and what it says about power, impunity, and where the line actually is for American voters. It’s politics at its most surreal and most dangerous… and as always, Politics Is Broken is here to make sense of the stupid.

In this week’s Politics Is Broken:The death of “statesmanlike” behaviourTrump’s “quiet, quiet, piggy” moment and Ford’s “get a job” clapbackHow recall actually works in Alberta (and why there are so many petitions)What other countries do with recall… and why it’s so rareWhether recall is a dangerous precedent or a much-needed pressure valveAnd why this all “smells a little like hope” in a grim political year

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle Alberta’s chaos spiral - from the government using the notwithstanding clause to target trans kids, to a $125M privatization disaster, to a “not two-tier” healthcare plan that sure feels like two tiers. What the hell, Alberta?

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a topic that makes you want to wash your hands just for saying it out loud: Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal that won’t die has become a mirror for power, privilege, and the myth that Canada’s too polite for corruption.They dig into how systems protect the powerful, why accountability in Canada feels so slow, and whether or not we’re just naïve enough to think “it couldn’t happen here.

Is anger politics finally over? … and If it is, where do we send the people who still want to yell on Facebook? This week, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into MP jumping parties, a democratic socialist win in New York City, and a federal budget that might have been written entirely by ChatGPT with a positive attitude problem.

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa ask if America’s chaos has finally spilled into Canada. From Trump’s revenge tariffs to Alberta’s teacher strikes and a white supremacist tantrum outside the CBC, it’s all cheese, chaos, and constitutional clauses. Perfect for fans of smart, unhinged politics.Politics Is Broken. A weekly podcast where Brittlestar and Lisa B attempt to make Canadian News and Politics funner. The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers. Find the podcast here: https://pod.link/1730993828

Big week. Trump’s thrown his toys out of the NAFTA crib, a Canadian MP’s doing his best Charlie Kirk cosplay, and the Blue Jays are suddenly making us believe in something again -which, frankly, is dangerous. Today we’re asking whether American-style politics can actually work here, what ‘ending trade talks’ really means when your biggest customer lives next door, and whether baseball can unite a country that mostly only watches it when we’re winning.The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers.Find the podcast here: https://pod.link/1730993828

This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar & Lisa dive into the strange world of good deeds done for all the wrong reasons. From Trump’s ego-fueled Abraham Accords to Doug Ford’s reluctant wins, the crew asks: do motives matter if the results are good?They explore how history’s biggest breakthroughs — from Nixon’s China gamble to Caravaggio’s murderous genius — often came from messy, selfish, or downright awful intentions

Mark Carney built his reputation as the climate banker who’d and help save the planet. Now, as Prime Minister, he’s scrapped the carbon tax, fast-tracked oil exports, and promised “balanced growth.” Gas is cheaper, Alberta’s smiling, but Canada’s services economy — where most people actually work — is shrinking fast. This week, we dig into whether Carney’s pivot is pragmatic politics during turbulent times and tariffs - or a slow-motion betrayal. Can a “dual-energy” Canada work when the climate math doesn’t add up and the barista can’t pay rent?

Britain promised kids would be safe online. Instead, Instagram “teen accounts” are still full of self-harm content, while Keir Starmer pushes a shiny new digital ID — the so-called “BritCard.” Stewart and Lisa dig into why protections for kids don’t work, how governments keep selling surveillance as safety, and why Canada’s patchwork approach might actually be a blessing. Plus: Politics & the Pen, stolen water glasses, and a very blush-worthy Sean Fraser story

Kimmel’s FCC suspension vs. Canada’s CRTC: which country is actually more free? Brittlestar & Lisa B dig into political speech, CanCon, and why the algorithm might be the real censor.Topics: Kimmel/FCC suspension, political speech vs. hate-speech limits, CRTC & discoverability, Canada vs. U.S. free expression, algorithms as gatekeepers.Contact: politicsisbrokenpodcast@gmail.com

Green Party leader Elizabeth May joins us to unpack the fallout from Charlie Kirk’s murder, Michelle Rempel Garner’s call for Carney to speak up, and whether Canada risks following America’s path. Plus: PM Mark Carney... has his honeymoon already ended?

The Liberals invited the author of Project 2025 to a cabinet meeting… and then acted surprised when he ghosted them. Meanwhile, a U.S. DOJ official spilled Epstein file gossip on a Hinge date. In this episode, we ask: why do smart people keep engaging with loud idiots, and is Mark Carney just realizing what the rest of us already know?Video version at Brittlestar.com

This one’s the inaugural Politics Is Broken with me and Lisa B… and Owen briefly fighting the intro music. Very professional. Very us.It’s National Payroll Week (Sept 15–19). Share your best payday story with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag National Payroll Institute, and you could win a $250 prepaid card. Every eligible post also triggers a donation to Food Banks Canada—good deeds with prize potential. Enter!In this episodeThe Power of Payroll: Real people make paydays happen. Let’s celebrate them—and win stuff while feeding people.Back to School, Back to Reality: Millions of students return… and the great Canadian debate: are they duo-tangs or just “those bendy paper binder things”?Poilievre’s New Tone (and Old Habits): Collaboration slogans meet carbon-tax-2.0 speeches. Will the CPC actually change… or just change outfits?Tariffs, De Minimis, and a Border Buzzkill: The U.S. yanks duty-free under $800; Canada Post partners with Zonos; small businesses (including ours) rethink shipping to the States.Alberta Teachers Draw a Line: 95% strike mandate. Class sizes, pay that tracks inflation, and why supporting teachers isn’t optional if you like… society.Why listenBecause it’s smart, funny, and slightly exasperated—like September in Canada. We cut through the noise and still leave room for the important questions… like whether chalk is extinct and if we can weaponize duo-tangs.🎧 Listen & follow the show:Apple Podcasts → Follow on Apple PodcastsSpotify → Follow on Spotify📺 Want the video version? Become a Paid Subscriber at Brittlestar.com to watch the full episode in glorious moving pictures.

It's never easy to say goodbye - and saying hello again to Poilievre isn't so fun either. Thank you for everything, Steve! This week, Brittlestar, Steve and Lisa talk the Air Canada strike coming to an end, the return of Pierre Poilievre, schmoozers in Ottawa, and more! Post your story on Instagram or TikTok with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag @nationalpayrollinst, and you could win a $250 prepaid credit card. Plus, for every post with those hashtags, NPI donates $1 to Food Banks Canada – up to $25,000.The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers.

This week we're joined by the incredible Alison Gill, a.k.a. Mueller, She Wrote! Allison also has her own fantastic podcasts, The Daily Bean, and JACK: A Special Counsel Podcast, to talk Canadians held in ICE custody, and the National Guard in D.C., Oh - also, the sandwich guy.Post your story on Instagram or TikTok with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag @nationalpayrollinst, and you could win a $250 prepaid credit card. Plus, for every post with those hashtags, NPI donates $1 to Food Banks Canada – up to $25,000.The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers.

This week on Podcast Is Broken, Stewart, Lisa, and Steve attempt to make it all make sense. It's not going well.This week on Podcast Is Broken, Brittlestar, Lisa, and Steve spiral into bread-cutting conspiracies, a Danish 'Wackadoo-Zoo' (Lisa's words) for their predators. Along the way: a man gets caught kayaking into Canada like it’s an Olympic event, Mexico’s president gives Canada the politest cold shoulder, and Trump and Putin plan a tension-filled meet-up.Post your story on Instagram or TikTok with #PowerOfPayroll and #Contest, tag @nationalpayrollinst, and you could win a $250 prepaid credit card. Plus, for every post with those hashtags, NPI donates $1 to Food Banks Canada – up to $25,000.The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers at Brittlestar.com. The audio version is free on your favourite podcast platforms. We love all subscribers.Find the podcast here: https://pod.link/1730993828

This week on Podcast Is Broken, Stewart, Lisa, and Steve attempt to make sense of Canadian politics and news… and fail spectacularly but hilariously. Topics include:Justin Trudeau’s dinner date with Katy Perry’s dog (yes, really)Alberta flirting with leaving Canada (again)Spent fowl fraud at the border (no, we didn’t make that up)A mysterious “Blue Hackle Mafia” in the Canadian militaryAnd why driving a trailer on Calgary’s Deerfoot is basically a live-action video game.Plus, our “Make It Make Sense” game returns with all the accuracy of a drunk weather forecast. Spoiler: Lisa wins, Steve cries capriciousness.Perfect for anyone who likes their politics messy, their headlines weird, and their comedy slightly unhinged.

We're off this week for Summer holidays - so please enjoy a rerelease of one of our favourite episodes! - An interview with the one, the only, the dynamo Leader of the Green Party of Canada - Elizabeth May.May dishes the dirt on Poilievre still not getting his security clearance and tells us what Trump can do with his 51st State talk.The video version of this podcast is only available to paid subscribers. The audio version is free here and on podcast platforms. We love all subscribers